Raised Bed Gardening - Cement Blocks > Greenhouse!

INDEX

Split Tomatoes

Mildew

Garden Pests

Soil Additives

De-Chlorinating City Water

2019 Week -4

Family Beds Rebuild

Pantry Beds Prep

2019 Growing Season - Week 0

Tomatoes and the interminable Bacterial Wilt

41.6oz Homegrown Tomato


.
...
6/6/18 Pantry Garden

Morning Glories growing out of plastic jugs (Woodchucks and Rabbits eat everything outside the gates)IMG_9085.jpg

Tomatoes on the left, Peppers on the right
IMG_9084.jpg

Watermelon left, Cantaloupe center, Strawberries right
IMG_9094.jpg

Fence bed #3 Potatoes, Radishes, Lettuce
IMG_9082.jpg

Fence bed #2 Acorn Squash, Butternut Squash, Cucumbers
IMG_9081.jpg

Fence bed #1 Peas, Green beans, Yellow Beans, Green Beans, Lettuce
IMG_9079.jpg

IMG_9075.jpg

IMG_9074.jpg
 
.
...
6/13/18 Pantry Garden

Tomatoes in a growth explosion!


IMG_9106.jpg

Stand up beds repaired and relocated, Leaf lettuce doing great, planted to help keep people from picking at the Romaine, Buttercrunch and Iceberg ...


IMG_9122.jpg

Watermelon and Cantaloupe doing nicely, transplanted Peas to block holes against fence



IMG_9121.jpg

Ended the Potato bed with a block curve, Tomatoes in the bed (will tie up to overhead pipe), and Peppers - Dwarf Tomatoes - Peppers in the block holes


IMG_9118.jpg
 
.
...
First Fruits

To promote stronger plants and greater healthier produce, I have been plucking female flowers from the smaller, or weaker, Squash and Cucumber plants. (Squash, cucumbers and various similar vegetables produce male and female flowers - male flowers left to keep bees attracted!)
Producing fruit (too early?) saps growth and can stunt plants development.
Waiting for first fruits till plants are larger-healthier allows continued growth and much greater production.

Similarly with Tomatoes, removing flowers until plant is healthy and strong is advisable. - IME
 
Made up a Facebook page ...

Community Garden - OFP

Lots of HD pictures.
Weekly updates, problems, solutions, progress reports etc.
 
Tomato plants were in desperate need of attention, recent high winds had most laying down, growing sideways. Tied up 48 plants, in 44 feet of 5 beds = 2 rows. An additional 12 variety Tomato plant have tie space available, as needed.


35461570_228983621023651_4947154807132520448_n.jpg


With dedicated beds, it is now advisable to try an alternate method of staking up Tomatoes. Built frameworks for 24' and 20' beds.Instead of stakes, Tomatoes will be supported by a weighted twine, gently wrapped around stem and tied to overhead pipes. As it grows, twine is additionally wrapped.

1st trials done with heavy Jute twine and medium macrame cord. Might replace with heavier thicker cord as weight increases?

Timbers, pipes etc. recycled from dismantled watering system.
 
.
...
6/20/18

Tomato plants recovering, straightening up, nicely.
Will still need to "stake" several beds, no budget for additional support construction ...

Tomatoes tied.jpg

Tied Tomatoes looking good, Leaf Lettuce recovered from last weeks harvest.
IMG_9136.jpg

Squash exploding, despite Cucumber beetles
Squash Explosion.jpg

Family beds doing great at 34 days since planting party
Family Beds.jpg

Watermelons vineing way earlier than last year ... will need bigger bed!
Melon Patch.jpg

Cucumber Beetles congregating in flowers. I scoop them out with plastic knife and squish!
Cucumber Beetles.jpg

New! Bed Buds on left!
Bed Buds.jpg

Strangest thing! Onion "Flower Stem" is producing "Onion Sets", several removed and growing!
Onion Sets.jpg
 
.
...
May 21


521.1s.jpg


... June 20

file.php
 
.
...
6/27/18

Pictures are large, click on to view.

Got the Tomatoes staked up, looking good.
View attachment 1
Watermelons are taking over, don't know where they'll grow to in the next 3 months. ... ?
Must keep separate from neighboring Cantaloupe, they need their own space for proper trial.
(Previously, neither Watermelons or Cantaloupe have done well, for us, here in Upstate NY.)
Will allow Watermelon vines to climb fence. While might not support Sugar Baby Watermelons it will feed those on the ground.
View attachment 2
Tomatoes plants making a dent in the 7 feet of twine.
View attachment 3

36278009_236973946891285_8357171248869933056_o.jpg
Staked Tomatoes doing nicely also. Stakes are 4'.
Just harvested 1st Summer and Zucchini squashes ...
View attachment 5
View attachment 6
Family plots doing nicely, too. Some large Pickling Cucumbers ready for harvest.
36306512_236973786891301_6076330734639906816_o.jpg

IMG_9184.jpg
 
Mildew (1st Appearance)
Spray with Neem Oil dilution
Pull, isolate and destroy worst infected leaves

Mildew (2nd Appearance)
3 straight days of mid 90's, blazing sun and no wind looks to have burnt off a recent appearance of mildew on the "mystery squash".
(Unlabeled squash seeds exploding in growth but no identifiable fruit yet, might be Delicata or Spaghetti?)
After watering from underneath, might "tent" with clear plastic for a proper roasting.
Mildew, infestation and spores, has been shown to be effectively killed at specific temperatures-duration.
file.php


Blossom End Rot (Squash)
Main Squash beds seem to suffer a fair percentage of "fruit" with blossom end rot.
Spread crushed eggshells around Squash plants as hopeful remedy?
(Will also apply to Watermelon and Cantaloupe.)

Soaking Hose System
Experimented with 50' Soaking Hose - looks promising!
Soaking hose is a restricted pressure, porous rubber composite hose that looks to sweat water out through its entire surface.
Purchased 2 100' "kits"
Layed out 6 - 24' rows of beds and appears to work nicely.
Will "soak" for couple hours at near daybreak of another mid 90s day.
Not ideal for use with rainwater?
Rain barrels accumulate an assortment of roof residue and grows a layer of fungus(?) on insides of barrels, which peals off, clogging up sprinkler heads of watering cans. (Especially problematic in white translucent barrels, not so bad in dark blue barrels).
Might attempt with a proper filter between barrels and soaking hose?
But there is only sufficient rainwater for a good soaking when there is plenty of rain, and thus, ... unneeded?

Community Garden - Competition(?)
Local "Urban Rejuvenation-Renewal" organization is demolishing some local properties and installing Community Gardens.
1st project nicely started on failed Church property ... yesterday.
Planting scheduled for mid July, so yield should be limited, for certain crops.

Banner week?
Recent rains and blazing sun, combined with sufficient-improved watering is expected to provoke a banner week of growth!
Expect impressive improvement ... documented in this weeks, July 4, pictures!
 
.
...
`Summer Radish Woes
Present crops of Radishes are not doing well. 2 different areas, Radishes growing in excessive heat are sparse and spindly. Radishes growing in shade are very leafy but with no desirable root-bulb development. Seems evident that they require good Sun but the cooler temperatures of Spring or Fall.

Radishes require good loose soil and room to grow, 3-4 inches between.
 
.
...
July 4, 2018 - Week 7 - Community Garden

Tomatoes doing great!
1.jpg

2.jpg

View attachment 2
Watermelon climbing all over each other!
Cantaloupe bed getting full too!
View attachment 3

View attachment 4

5.jpg

View attachment 6
Harvesting Peas and Green Beans now.
View attachment 7
Sweet Banana Peppers nearing ripeness.
Bell Peppers producing, but a couple weeks behind.
10.jpg
Dwarf Orange Cherry Tomato has dozens of fruit started. Appears to be Determinate for a single crop with all ripening at about same time.
11.jpg

Uncovered a Mildew infestation in 1 family plots Cucumbers. Sprayed with Neem oil and pulled a fair percentage of leaves. Have to wait and see on effectiveness.
 
Nice to see the tomato's have set. I just picked 9lbs off my plants today. About 1/3 of them went into a pasta sauce I cook where I don't puree them into a sauce, they are mostly kept in slices or half's depending on the size of the fruit. lots of herbs as well. People ask "where is the sauce?" So I tell them "the extremely fresh flavor of the just picked tomato's are the sauce. usually they aren't talkin much because of how good fresh tomatoes taste when cooked mostly whole.

:D
 
July 11, 2018 - Week 8 - Community Garden

All Tomatoes with fruit, most Peppers doing well - a few stragglers, harvested Sweet Banana Peppers.




37020692_247926392462707_6491097779408994304_n.jpg
1st Yellow Cherry Tomato getting some color


View attachment 2

Family Beds

36937005_247927059129307_7255685929002598400_n.jpg

Had to let the Watermelons and cantaloupe escape their "prisons".

36895448_247927125795967_1634859175005650944_n.jpg

Baby Watermelons

36935872_247927195795960_8811839029445132288_n.jpg

Baby Cantaloupe

36950991_247927222462624_614336256410648576_n.jpg

#2 Tomato framework getting full

View attachment 7

#1 Tomato framework getting heavy use

36935076_247927545795925_5117150501766430720_n.jpg

Leaf Lettuce getting overwhelmed, right as coming to end of useful production - great timing!

View attachment 10
1st Sunflower ... flowering



36919752_247927685795911_947117160092663808_n.jpg


Pantry Beds bursting with plants
Tomatoes overwhelming 4' stakes, might outgrow 7' twine frame?


37013370_247927462462600_7699283813624446976_n.jpg
 
.
.....................
June 17 >> July 17


June 17.jpg

1 Month ... Tomatoes at 5 feet!
Nope, no fertilizer, beyond the pre-season layer of aged horse manure.


July 17.jpg

All Tomato plants are loaded up with started Tomatoes. Any recommendations on "thinning" Beefsteak to ensure large fruit?
Near 100 plants of various "Beefsteak" varieties.
.
 
Sorry I haven't posted pictures, should have week 10 up tomorrow.
Starting to see the first red in the Beefsteak Tomatoes.
Harvested a few Cherry Tomatoes, several Yellow Dwarf Cherry and a few Yellow Pear shaped Tomatoes (beautiful and tasty!)

Think I will have to thin Beefsteak, too cramped and tight together, will stunt or push each other off the vine?

1st harvest for Green Peppers, will have to post notices to prevent Colored Peppers being harvested as Green Peppers.
Pepper plants heavily loaded and might add stakes to help support plants.
Harvesting Sweet Banana, Hungarian Hot Wax, Cayenne and Green Peppers ... so far.
 
.
...
Split Tomatoes

Tomatoes can split due to sudden occurrence of excess water-rain, especially at near ripe stage.

#1 Best solution is to provide scheduled deep waterings 2-3 times a week.
It seems to be the abrupt additional water that provokes splitting.
Be sure to moderate added water if natural rain is sufficient!

I did add timer to soaker hose fed beds.

#2 Adding Calcium
Dissolving a Tums, or similar, in gallon of water and spray on leaves and fruit.
This strengthens Tomatoes skin as well as improving stem growth - strength.
Additionally, helps prevent blossom end rot.
 
Harvested out about 8lb of Green Peppers, plenty more, mainly thinned the crop.
Rather than posting a bunch of pictures, will link to Facebook page.
Community Garden - OFP

Just 1 pic - Peppers and Tomatoes doing well!!!
Needing to stake up Peppers, too heavily loaded.
This side of Tomatoes nicely pruned ... other side a bit wild ... :oops:


 
Some Squash and most Watermelons are nearly wiped out.
Was too late spraying Squash with Neem oil and didn't consider the Watermelons, till the vines withered and began dying.
Cucumber Beetle larva chewing at the roots.

Neem oil is effective against CBs, when they are feeding on leaves, unfortunately they switch over to feeding off the flowers with no effective deterrent.
Then they retreat to the soil and lay eggs, which soon turn into root munching larva.

Cure?
Nematodes are microscopic worms that attack beetle larva and multiply.
Sprinkle containing media around roots and water into soil.
Keeping soil well supplied should help clean up or at least regulate Cucumber Beetle infestation?
Cost about $15 per 10 million and partial supply can be kept refrigerated for some months.
 
.
...
Monarch Butterflies
One of our more basic goals was a Milkweed patch.
Monarch Butterflies depend on Milkweed as their sole source of food during their caterpillar stage.
Just found 3 on our little patch.


Monarch Cat.jpg

Remarkable is the Monarch annual life cycles!


life-cycle-diagram01.jpg


Encouraging and supporting the Monarch Butterfly species is becoming a nation wide project.
Plant Milkweed in late Fall and early Spring.
... and flowers to support their Butterfly stage!

Tomatoes
After last months glorious growth, Tomato plants are winding down, suffering from black spot fungus on lower leaves, spreading up.
Which does expose the glorious red Tomatoes ... but precludes continued new Tomato production.
Pruning infected branches and trying baking soda in water, Tablespoon per gallon, sprayed on leaves as a means of control.
Changing leaf PH makes them less hospitable for supporting Fungus growth.
Did not have opportunity to try Compost Tea production-application ...
Will increase diameter and strength of "twine" tying Tomato plants to overhead bars, next year.
Had several lines break, collapsing and breaking some Tomato plants, but have record quantity and quality of Tomatoes, including a perfect round 22oz Beefsteak!
(Had some glorious BLTs with Beefsteak slices that, individually, covered large toasted Italian Bread slices)


Peppers ... are taking over!
This hot Summer has produced large plants that are chock-full-O-fruit.
Sweet Peppers are finally getting some color.
Several Red Bells harvested with Orange and Yellows not far behind.
Small colored Sweet coloring up nicely, with many Reds harvested.
Getting steady crops of Sweet Banana, Hungarian Hot Wax, Cayenne, Hot Cherry, Jalapeno and Chili Peppers!
Still waiting on Habarneros and Scorpions.

2nd Season
Weather is starting to change and becoming ideal for Fall crops of String beans, Radishes, Lettuce, green onions, and crop of beautiful small potatoes - got free bags of leftover seed potatoes.
Cleared Squash, Watermelon (got a few ripe before vines killed) and Garlic beds for replant.
 
.
...
Garlic
We had 3 Garlic "patches".
2 types planted last Fall and 1 in the early Spring.
Fall plantings
#1 Normal produced medium-typical sized bulbs and wilted down about the 1st of August. They were thin stemmed and I was able to braid into long strings.
#2 Large with single row of cloves lasted a few weeks longer.
Spring planting
Still nice and green and near the size of the 1st Fall planted. Just starting to get brown on some outer leaves.
Will try planting Fall and Spring crops of each type for next year. ... get a direct comparison of different varieties and Fall vs Spring plantings.
Note - Mulching Garlic with wood chips did an excellent job of discouraging weeds!
 
.
...
2nd Season
Prepped 5 4'x10' beds for 2nd season crops.
Pulled plants, weeded and rototilled with nice small 12" electric rototiller.
Added a few more inches of newest, and best looking, topsoil delivery.
Soaking Radish and Beet seeds for planting tomorrow, to be complemented with Lettuce, Onion sets and possibly Carrots.
Green beans and more Onions put in a couple weeks ago.






View attachment Succession-gardening-chart-cropped.pdf
 
.
...
Tomatoes
Wow! Harvested over 120lb of Tomatoes, 50lb+ Friday and 70lb+ Monday, including a 26oz, obviously steroid induced, Beefsteak. Looked almost like conjoined quadruplets. Harvested early Monday, to beat anticipated heavy rain, sudden heavy rain causes splits in near ripe Tomatoes.
Cures?
Steady scheduled watering helps deter sudden splittings.
Calcium sprayed on Tomatoes, reputedly, promotes thicker, stronger skin that is more resistant to splitting. (1 Tums or Calcium tablet per Quart of water in sprayer - spayed directly on fruit)

... Peppers
Been rationing Green Peppers for continuous crop.
Colored Sweet Peppers are brightening up the garden!
Small Reds and Oranges but no brilliant Yellows yet, from seeds harvested of Peppers from Aldis.
Large Reds and Yellows but no Oranges, seed harvested of Peppers from local store.
Hot Hungarian Wax turning Red on a regular basis, not letting be confused with Yellow Banana Peppers!
Cayennes are turning a bright red, challenged multiple volunteers with green Cayenne ... "who's brave, courageous and ... stupid?"
One was coughing and spitting for, seeming, hours, another suffered swollen lips (I did warn him to not let touch lips! and do not touch "infected" hands near eyes!)
Good crops of Chili Peppers and, unsampled, Scorpion Peppers on the way, Hot Red Cherry Peppers are slowly but steadily producing.
Wimp-ass Jalapenos are a steady crop, let one turn red, then decided on a higher production rate as green harvesting.
Got one Orange Habanero on a stunted plant, but not brave enough to sample!
I had planned greenhousing Pepper row to protect when frost nears but plants are nearing 4' and would need to build much taller hoops. Considering transplanting select plants to 5gal pals and moving indoors for the Winter. (Will pollinate by hand, and capture ladybugs to control aphids)
Note - Pepper plants next to Marigolds did not do as well, seemed somewhat stunted! ... ?
 
.
...
Tomatoes - new record!

70lb+ on Monday + 90lb+ on Friday = 160lb+ for the week.
But Tomatoes are dying down, heavy Tomatoes and a black spot fungus has vines collapsing and dying.
Will go with heavier ropes, thin-prune vines and jump on any fungus spots, next year.

Some fungus damaged plants are producing fresh clean new vines from the bases! ... ?
Fresh flowers and little green fruits. Will spray with baking soda water and monitor. New leaves should also feed sugar to green Tomatoes on withered but still living vines?

Small colored Sweet Peppers are really coloring up, should be harvesting by the dozens!
Lots of large Red Bells, Oranges and Yellows coloring up. Harvested several Reds and 2 Yellows, so far.

Tomatoes and chlorophyll
Chlorophyll Makes sugar and feeds flavor to the Tomatoes.
Leaves produce about 76% of the sugar, vines about 12% and the green Tomato about 12%.
Tomatoes will "ripen" without leaves, or vines, but with a notable reduction in "flavor"!
 
.
...
Potatoes
Pulled up a couple dozen pounds of Reds and Whites - Friday. I love the tiny small new potatoes, slice up the slightly bigger. Drop them in my rice cooker with some peppers and onions ... rice too. Tasty with butter.
Slice in some Jalapeno or part of a Cayenne for some extra flavor!

... Peppers
Plants are standing at 3-4 feet tall.
Picked dozens of Red, Orange and Yellow small Peppers, also several Large Reds and Yellows, Oranges not quite fully colored ... maybe ready by Monday, for next harvest.
Marigolds seem to have obviously stunted neighboring Pepper plants!

Questions on hot peppers?
Wait for Chili peppers to turn red? Bunches of them, but very slow to turn red.
Scorpion Peppers, look like thin Jalapenos, harvest green or red? Hotter than Cayenne?

2nd Season Crops
"Growing out of the bag" Red Potatoes are exploding out of the ground! Healthy tall-bushy 8" plants at less than 2 weeks. Planted in fresh, good topsoil should promote fast tuber growth ... probably 1, possibly 2 months till 1st frost? Chosen 2nd Season crops are frost resistant!
Large, 3'+, Garter snake burrowed into the tilled and new topsoiled Radish bed ... don't know if I should point out to the girls ... ? Should eliminate any bugs!

Winding down
Tomatoes are nearly exhausted. Still healthy Cherry Tomatoes, but everything else seems dying or not producing anything new. Not sure if determinate varieties or succumbed to fungus etc?
Peppers, Onions, Herbs and White Potatoes are the only remaining flourishing plants, till 2nd season crops mature. Lots of Sunflower ...

Facebook page ...

Community Garden - OFP

Lots of HD pictures.
Weekly updates, problems, solutions, progress reports etc.
.
 
Back
Top